#owpturnsthree

with Madeline Price

On Saturday, July 27 2013, I presented a project proposal for an educational organisation, an organisation teaching young people about global gender inequality, to a room of 12 international students gathered at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

I had just spent a sleepless night locked in my dorm room, furiously writing, editing, scoffing down these great cream buns (that you just cannot find in Australia) in dispersed with Thai curry, by the light of my computer and the streetlight outside (my dorm mate Jenny fast asleep), creating this project proposal, passionate about this idea that had been floating around in my head for two years previously. An idea, that the Global Leadership Program (in Prague) had forced me to get down on paper.

I remember rushing out the door early that Saturday morning, laptop in hand, forgetting that it was my own birthday (a surprise party at the local American waffle restaurant later that day would remind me), eager to present my project to this room of bright and enthusiastic young people.

And that day, Saturday the 27th of July 2013, was the first time I ever told someone (or a room full of 12 people at once!) about the One Woman Project. That day, was the day that the One Woman Project was born.

Within days of my arrival back in Australia, I had registered us as an Incorporated Association, was on track for achieving our status as a registered non-for-profit organisation with the Australian Charities and Non-Profits Commission, and I had built our first-ever website, announcing our first seminar series to being in January of 2014. I had also driven my family and partner absolutely wild with my constant gender-talk, my big picture aspirations and my idea to create Australia’s first gender-education organisation.

It is almost impossible to believe everything that we have achieved since those first early months in mid-2013.

From our first ever seminar series with literally one woman (myself) creating the content, facilitating the workshops and running the organisation, to our current seminar series encompassing four facilitators running our 101 and 102 streams as well as an additional two facilitators running our in-school programs. From our first year of operation turning over less than $80 to our most recent financial report showing an annual turnover of $18 000. From our team of myself in Brisbane, Queensland, to our team of now 28 volunteers across Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, Tanzania and China. From engaging with 37 participants in our first year, to now engaging with, at a minimum, three hundred people offline annually and, daily, 7 000 people online.

What we have done in the past three years, is simply inspirational.

But none of that could have been achieved without our team of volunteers. From the early volunteers – our first ever recruitment drive – in mid 2014 to our brand spanking new volunteers who have only come aboard in the past few weeks, none of this could have been achieved without you.

From our 2014 volunteers – Marina Burgin (past), Ashlee Teakle (past), Carla Sasse (current, Board of Directors), Hannah Kelly (current, Board of Directors), Jaimee O’Brien (current, Corporate Engagement), William Triste (past) – to our 2015 intake – Liz Oxenham (current, Campaigns), Imogen Reithmuller (past), Ella Bridges (past), Libby Feeney (past), Molly Frankham (current, Deputy Director), Isabelle Bowen-Rotsaert (current, Facilitator), Miranda Sparks (past), Jenny Liu (current, Conferences), Timothy Kariotis (past), Catherine Le Poidevin (current, Conferences), Ruth Horsfall (past), Pas Dreyer (past), Sonia Moradian (current, International Representative), Emmie Shields (current, ACT Co-Director), Celine Dettmann (current, Social Media Coordinator), Linden Peacock (current, High School Intern Coordinator), Katie Rasch (current, Facilitator), Caitlin Wall (current, Facilitator), Caitlin Lyons (past), Andjela Macura (current, Chief Financial Officer), Kate Robinson (past) – to our most recent 2016 intake – Ally Thompson (past), Ally Sarah (current, Facilitator), Samantha Kelly (current, Outreach and Engagement), Mariel Hunt (current, Outreach and Engagement), Bertrand Dungan (past), Erin Kirsch (current, High School Intern), Bec Hislop (current, High School Intern), Dana Absolon (current, High School Intern), Rebecca Stark (current, Facilitator), Jordan Wren (current, ACT Researcher), Laura Burfitt (current, ACT Co-Director), Vanshika Sinh (current, Facilitator), Sita Sargeant (current, Facilitator), and Jayme Ellis (current, Corporate Engagement) – you are what have made the One Woman Project what it is today (and hopefully I haven’t forgotten anyone!).

Our volunteers are what makes OWP as inspirational, energetic and successful as it has been.

Another special thank you on our third birthday goes out to our Board of Directors – Kaili Paker-Price, Hannah Kelly, Carla Sasse, Ayesha Lutschini and Julie-Anne Carroll – as well as our partner organisations (of whom we could not have done this without): Words with Heart, WILPF (Queensland Branch), UQU Women’s Collective, Diverse City Careers, Visible Ink, SHE Investments, Saheli Designs, Meri Toksave and Half the Sky. Without your constant advice, support and assistance with strategic planning, we would not be where we are today.

But the biggest thank you of all, for getting us to our third birthday, would be for our participants, attendees and supporters. Without you attending our seminar series, coming along to our International Women’s Day High Tea’s and our conferences, joining in on our campaigns and engagement events, and recommending us to your local high schools, we would not have been able to expand from one woman with a dream and a vision, to a team of powerful, fierce and enthusiastic volunteers set to take on the world. Thank you for supporting us and believing in our vision for a world free of inequality.

On a personal level, in addition to our volunteers (both past, present and, dare I say it, future), our Board of Directors, our partners and our participants, I have a number of people I would like to thank.

To my parents, Blair and Kaili, for your constant support (and advice, even when I did not want to listen to it) of my vision for the One Woman Project, for teaching me that I could achieve anything I set my mind to, for instilling feminist values at quite a young age, and for teaching me to value, in people, their ability to ‘show initiative’!

To my sister, Sophie, for helping me set up the first ever seminar I hosted, for being the best practice student I have ever met (from the age of two until today), for inspiring me daily and for being a fierce feminist force alongside me every step of the way.

To my close friends, for constantly (and uncomplainingly) putting up with my feminist ramblings both online and offline, for attending our OWP events, and for standing by me and the wider feminist cause.

To the GLP crew, who believed in me from the very start.

And to my partner Peter, for being there through thick-and-thin, from my first ever website crash to my horror-week of trolling to my panic over our sold-out events, your kindness, wisdom and patience has inspired (and at times frustrated J) me every day – you are my best friend, my guiding light, my biggest supporter and my partner for life.

We have just turned three, so, like a wary parent, make sure you keep an eye on what we are going to do next.

Because, just like an eager toddler, we have started running, and we are never going to stop until our world is free from inequality.

Happy birthday OWP.

Madeline Price is the founder and director of the One Woman Project. ‘The Weekly’ is a weekly (as you might have guessed) installment from Madeline around issues related to gender. Keep your eyes out for next week!  

xx OWP